


Moving in Winter

by a_big_apple



Series: Benevolence [4]
Category: The Adventure Zone (Podcast)
Genre: Family, Kravitz is a good boyfriend, Light depression, M/M, Moving Toward Reconciliation, Tacos, Vacation
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-28
Updated: 2018-01-28
Packaged: 2019-03-10 15:41:32
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,525
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13504608
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/a_big_apple/pseuds/a_big_apple
Summary: It was supposed to be a business trip. Some Taako™ brand interplanar licensing meetings, design approvals, one very limited public speaking engagement, and a few days tacked onto the end for expensive dinners and hot hotel sex with his boyfriend.Instead, Taako finds himself standing in a beautiful hotel lobby in the Plane of Thought, looking longingly off toward the bar as his entire riotous family cause a scene with their mere presence. When he catches Lucretia’s wistful glance in the same direction, he turns away and fluffs his enormous scarf up higher around his face, trying to radiate “untouchably famous celebrity” as hard as he possibly can.





	Moving in Winter

**Author's Note:**

> This is for Day 1 of Twins Week: Favorite Twin! I love Lup like fire, but Taako is deep in my soul. 
> 
> To give myself more of a jumpstart, I also used a randomly-selected prompt from [this meme](http://a-big-apple.tumblr.com/post/169799087276/send-me-two-characters-or-more-and-a-prompt-and#notes): "Can we go someplace high, so I can jump off it?" (As this prompt might imply, there is a very brief and light discussion of jumping off buildings.)
> 
> I'm considering this part of a series with my other TAZ fics, but you don't have to read those to enjoy this. If you're into it though, please go check the others out! :)

It was supposed to be a business trip. Some Taako™ brand interplanar licensing meetings, design approvals, one very limited public speaking engagement, and a few days tacked onto the end for expensive dinners and hot hotel sex with his boyfriend. Then Kravitz talked it up so much at work that Lup and Barry decided to come along, and Taako was pleased about that part, he doesn’t get to see them enough now that they’re reaping full time.

Of course Taako told Angus, because the kid is independent but he might not want to spend the last week of winter break in the house all alone, and Angus told Mavis because it might be a good time for a visit, and then suddenly Merle and Magnus were suspiciously free that very same week and calling to find out what hotel everyone is staying in and how to get rooms. When the venue Taako’s booked to speak in got wind of more Seven Birds coming to town, they immediately sent effusive formal invitations to  _ all _ of them.

This is how Taako finds himself standing in a beautiful hotel lobby in the Plane of Thought, looking longingly off toward the bar as his entire riotous family cause a scene with their mere presence. When he catches Lucretia’s wistful glance in the same direction, he turns away and fluffs his enormous scarf up higher around his face, trying to radiate “untouchably famous celebrity” as hard as he possibly can. Usually a Scene is his sort of thing, but all the rapid changes to his plans have set him a little off-kilter; he’s grateful when Kravitz appears and takes his arm to lead him to the bay of elevators, keycard in hand.

“I think they’ve all gotten their rooms sorted out,” Kravitz assures as they ride up to their floor. It’s blessedly quiet in the elevator, and Taako finally lets his shoulders drop.

“As long as we have a lock and a Do Not Disturb sign with the rest of them on the other side of it,” he replies, “I don’t care  _ where _ they’re staying.”

Kravitz gives a soft hum in answer, like he’s got Taako all figured out. Maybe he does--but at least he knows better than to say so.

Their room is a suite on the classy side of opulent, with an enormous whirlpool bathtub and a decadent-looking bed. They both call to him, but the bed wins out; Taako sheds his outer layers all over the floor and crawls into the fluffy mass of pillows and blankets. It’s already night outside the windows though this city never seems to be really dark, and Taako watches the constellations of lights outside blink and change and move as Kravitz shuffles around the room unpacking their suitcases. Finally he passes close enough to the bed that Taako can snag his hand and tug, and Kravitz smiles and kisses his fingers. “All right, love.” He strips down to his shirt and underwear as Taako watches him from beneath the mound of covers, then climbs into the bed and tugs Taako into his arms.

He’s cold, but it’s soothing in the warm bed, familiar by now and safe. “You’ve got meetings all day tomorrow, haven’t you?” he murmurs, and Taako nods against his chest, curling closer. “I’ll keep the crew out of your hair, then. And maybe we can get room service for dinner, tonight? When you’re hungry.”

“You’re too fucking good,” Taako gripes, hiding his smile in the placket of Kravitz’s shirt. He bites one of the buttons, because he wants to be cranky, then lets it rest between his lips, because he’s tired and the texture is nice and Krav’s very lovely nipples are currently hidden. His Too Good boyfriend chuckles and kisses his hair.

“Punish me, then.”

“Mmm,” Taako replies. “Later.”

***

The week is busy, and he sees his family in tolerably small doses. He goes shopping with Lup and has dinner after with Kravitz and Barry. He soaks in the hotel sauna with Davenport while Merle and the kids play across the room in the pool. He caves to the deadly combination of Ango-and-Mango puppy dog eyes, and accompanies them to a museum. His planned talk becomes a Seven Birds panel interview, which is just fine--he can tune most of it out, and save the full-on charm for the autograph line.

He loves it most of the time, the fans, the fame, the glow of attention. It’s just...he’s drained, lately. It’s the cold weather, or the early dark, or the headache that’s been nagging at him. His battery is dangerously in the red by the time the last autograph has been signed, and there’s still an afterparty they need to show their faces at. He rests his face in his hands while Kravitz gets their things, sighs into them when his coat is draped over his shoulders. “Can we go someplace high so I can jump off it?”

“The party is on the top of a skyscraper,” Lucretia replies, deadpan. “But we’ve both got Featherfall, so.”

When he looks up, she’s already wrapped in an austere blue shawl coat, and is holding out Taako’s scarf expectantly. He takes it, starts putting himself together. “I guess we’ll just have to drink ourselves silly, instead.”

That gets a shadow of a smile out of her, and Taako’s not sure whether to be pleased or not. Then Lup appears between them, grinning and looping her arms through theirs. “Come on, let’s get this shindig on the road!”

***

Taako’s not sure how he wound up here. He remembers the party, the stomach-twisting view of the city and the long green swath of park through the center, putting his back to it and gulping down the first cocktail that hoves into view. He remembers a few more after that, and some good music and a little dancing, jolly hugs from Magnus and a quiet kiss from Kravitz. He remembers Lucretia, out of the corner of his eye, always with a wine glass in her hands.

But how did they get to this hole in the wall with a platter full of tacos between them?

“There was at least one bridge,” Lucretia says. She doesn’t slur--she never slurs--but he can tell by the glassiness of her eyes that she’s as drunk as he is.

“There’s a lot of fucking bridges around here,” Taako agrees, and shoves the end of a taco in his mouth. “Fuck, this is good. We found a good place. We have to bring Lup here.”

She nods in solemn agreement and lifts a taco, taps it against his like a toast. “Tomorrow. If we haven’t thrown up so much we never eat again.”

“Fuck you, I’m fine.”

She seems to consider this as she chews; then she reaches over and grabs the beer that was apparently in his hand, taking an indelicate swig. “Are you really fine?”

Is he? It’s hard to know, and fuck her for asking. He’s tired though, and the haze of alcohol makes it a little easier to see the young woman he thought he knew. “Most of the time,” he answers grudgingly, and it doesn’t taste like a lie. “What about you?”

“Most of the time,” she echoes, and passes back the beer. “I have a new baseline.”

“No fucking kidding, me too.”

It’s supposed to be mean, but instead it makes her laugh--actually laugh this time, a little shout and a flash of her teeth. How long has it been since he’s seen her laugh? It’s disorienting, the old Lucretia and the new Lucretia superimposed on each other, and his eyes hurt looking at her. He closes them instead, rests his head against his arm on the table. Tries to think back through the night, and hang on to where and when he is.

He must doze off, because he wakes to a warm hand on the back of his neck. “Come on, bud, time for bed. Krav’s waitin’ for ya.”

“Mmmyeah?” he replies with a half-awake grin, and hears Barry sigh. Then he’s hauled to his feet, his brother’s arm around his back. There’s talking around him, some in another language, some Lucretia, some Barry. Some Angus, and when Taako opens his eyes to squint in the kid’s direction, he’s fishing local currency out of Taako’s purse. Then there’s a rift, and some more hushed talking, and finally  _ Kravitz _ , smelling like a bath bomb and considerately pre-warmed.

Taako floats more contentedly then, spinning a little, and lets Krav undress him and wipe the makeup from his face, lets himself be spooned in the heavenly soft bed. “This trip’s okay,” he tells Kravitz, because it’s important he knows--he’s the most okay part of it.

Kravitz kisses his ear, the sweet way and not the sexy way. “Merle found a place to go ice skating,” he says. “He’s going to take the kids tomorrow. Want to go?”

“Let’s all go,” Taako suggests, feeling benevolent. “Fucking...family ice skating.”

His boyfriend, the best boyfriend, huffs a laugh. “I’m going to remind you that you said that, in the morning.”

**Author's Note:**

> I'm on tumblr too, at a-big-apple!


End file.
